The ups and downs of GCSE remarks

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I though I would share with you my experience of getting GCSE papers remarked as it may help others decide if it's worth the money or not.

We asked for 3 subjects to be remarked, chemistry 3 papers, history 2 papers, English lit 2 papers.

Chemistry DS need 3 marks to go up a grade, one paper went down 2 marks each of the other 2 went up 1 mark. Result same marks/grade as before.

History DS needed 3 marks to go up a grade, one paper went down by 13 marks, second paper went up 6 marks. Results Mark went down by 7/grade stayed the same.

English Lit needed 8 marks to go up a grade. Only heard back from one paper so far which has gone up 10 points. Result he has gone up a grade as this was a whole school remark in this subject which means you will not go down a grade.

I'm glad we did have the papers remarked, but rather shocked by the amount the marks can go up and down.

I know! it's incredible isn't it. Though the variation you have seen and we have seen in the past has been in narrative subjects especially.

The other issues we've had are with moderated course work -B+G taught together (minority subject at AS/A2). Boys severely moderated, girls not. No appeal made - GRR (DS has various conspiracy theories about this LOL - really I think as his was the only one that mattered TBH and they didn't want the girls marks brought down maybe..)

With DS GCSE results we had a couple of papers remarked that went up to A*. That was a scary choice but it matter to his plans.

Eldest didn't have a remark in eng lit. didn't matter to her but the results were so far off where the school usually is we couldn't understand why they didn't submit them all.

Yes English Lit did seem to be a big problem. Our school had the whole year remaked about 65 students, so far 16 have gone up a grade after results from paper 1, they are still waiting to hear about paper 2 so it could be even higher.

I think the English teacher is very relieved and lots of students are happy.

Ds's school is having whole year remarks in three subjects.

We paid for ds's History paper to be remarked as the grade was astonishing. He got 20 more marks! The only conclusion I could draw was that they hadn't marked a whole page or not added up some marks. Anyway, it left ds a bit down and disillusioned and he has lost faith in the marking process. He'd put his GCSE results slip straight in the bin and didn't want to go and celebrate with his friends (in Costa Coffee - they know how to party!).

Other parents I have spoken to about remarks have said that very coincidentally many papers go up to one mark less than the grade above. One feels slightly cynically that in this way the exam board doesn't have to refund fees and saves face.

Brenda that's interesting re the history, but I do think it's a more subjective subject so has the chance of bigger changes, I don't think science changes like this.

It makes a big difference though especially if like my DS you are at the lower end of the grades and are hoping to go from a D to a C.

We tried with history as he was close to a B and thought it would help him feel better about his grades if he had another B, but it didn't work out for him.

DDs grades on the two papers we had re-marked went up by 16% and 12% respectively : in both cases C to A in that paper and up a grade overall in the subject

School has changed exam board as of NOW for English, they are so annoyed with AQA

ds's Head is steaming about the marking this year

btw - TalkinPeace - if you're still there - I've started another thread but I wonder if you know - we've just been sent a progress report for ds at PS. Ds says we don't need to go to parents evening but I'm concerned about the A Level predictions of Bs. He has been getting As for his work so far.

Brenda
On the progress by subject is will say if an appointment is needed ....

PSC only call in the pupils / subjects they are concerned about : DD has one that is well off target so I'll be there on Tuesday.
THe others they are happy with.
I trust them because they act PDQ if they think kids will damage their results

We have had three remarks. Two went up a grade. One was 20% off.

One boy we know had one of his A2 papers remarked as if was so far off expectation. The result was 17% more, but overall still a mark shy of the A* he needed to meet his University offer. He now regrets he did not have the other papers remarked, on the off-chance there was another mark to be found. He had nothing to lose.

With hindsight I'd've had everything below an A* remarked except the one outlier that ds freely admitted he hadn't done a stroke of work for